Bridges and other related hydrological structures have been known to fail unexpectedly. These structural failures result in inconvenience to travelers, expense to the public, destruction of property, and in the worst cases, even casualties. It would be beneficial to anticipate and forestall structural failures.
One particular cause of the failure of a hydrological structure is called a “scour.” Scour occurs when hydrologic features, such as rivers, causeways, or lakes, are interrupted by bridge sub-structure elements. The process of scour may occur at any time but is exacerbated by flooding events and severe tidal surges.
Conventionally, scour has three forms: local scour, contraction scour, and degradation scour. An example of local scour is the removal of sediment from around bridge piers or abutments. Interruption in the conveyance of water by a pier or abutment creates vortices at and around the interfaces of these structure elements (see FIG. 1.) These vortices create a turbulent state that results in the removal of sediment such that holes are formed adjacent to the pier or abutment: hereafter referred to as “scour holes.” Contraction scour is the removal of sediment from the bottom and sides of a hydrologic channel. Contraction scour is caused by the increased velocity of water as the water moves through a bridge opening that is narrower than the natural hydrologic channel. Degradation scour is the gradual removal of sediment from the channel bottom by the flow of the hydrologic feature. The sediment removal and resultant lowering of the channel bottom is a natural process, and, over time, large amounts of sediment may be removed. The erosion of soil supporting a structure eventually leads to structural instability and ultimately failure if not corrected.
Thousands of structures span hydrologic features around the world, including in the United States. Even at the community level, it is difficult to maintain a diligent watch on all of these structures and inspections involving a person can be dangerous, especially during flooding events. A number of scour monitoring devices are described in Instrumentation for Measuring Scour at Bridge, Piers and Abutments. Transportation Research Board, 1997, NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Report No. 396, ISSN 0077-5614, ISBN 0-309-06069-9, LC Cat Card No. 97-61382. However, scour problems can occur very suddenly and without warning even with regular inspections and monitoring.
It is an object of the present invention, through the use of information technology, predict scour risk through constant data collection is needed in order to ensure safety for the public and the environments being protected by these structures and to efficiently gather, evaluate, and present data in a coordinated manner to allow users to more effectively evaluate, prioritize, and determine the appropriate actions required to maintain public safety and preserve of public and private property.